The final victim in the deadly New Orleans truck attack on New Year’s Day has been identified as the stepson of Prince William’s former nanny.
The 42-year-old royal said Saturday he’s “shocked and saddened” to learn that Edward Pettifer, 31, was among the 14 killed in the French Quarter ramming.
“Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer,” William wrote in an Instagram Story. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack.”
Pettifer’s family is being supported by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command of London’s Metropolitan Police.
The Met confirmed to the Daily News that the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will work alongside U.S. authorities to repatriate Pettifer, a native of West London.
Pettifer’s stepmother is Tiggy Legge-Bourke, also known as Alexandra Pettifer, who nannied Princes William and Harry between 1993 and 1999. She was frequently photographed with their late mother, Princess Diana, prior to her death in 1997.
“The entire family are devastated at the tragic news of Ed’s death in New Orleans. He was a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to so many,” Pettifer’s family said in a statement released by the Met. “Our thoughts are with the other families who have lost their family members due to this terrible attack.”
Fourteen people were killed and dozens more wounded on Wednesday when 42-year-old Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street. Jabbar, a Texas native, was later killed in a shootout with police.
A subsequent review of his Facebook page turned up several videos in which Jabbar expressed a desire to kill and proclaimed his support for the Islamic State. The FBI said an Islamic State flag had been on the trailer hitch of the truck Jabbar drove into the crowd.
The identification of Pettifer as the final victim comes on the heels of the news that neither Prince William nor King Charles will attend the State Funeral of former President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, though many other world leaders are expected to attend. It’s unclear whether the absence of the royals is due to previously scheduled engagements or safety concerns related to the attack.
A security assessment obtained by ABC News pointed to the funeral as a potential target “for violent extremists,” due in no small part to the many “senior U.S. government officials, foreign dignitaries, and heads of state” that will be in attendance.